Indonesian troops have arrested 27 suspected separatist rebels in a day of raids in the restive province of Aceh, a report said.

The head of the military operation in Aceh, Major General Bambang Darmono was quoted by the Serambi newspaper Sunday as saying troops on Saturday raided nine rebel camps in the Gunung Seulimon area. A total of 27 suspected guerrillas were arrested in the camps and are being questioned in North Aceh district.

Meanwhile, the head of the state of military emergency in Aceh, Major General Endang Suwarya was quoted by Serambi as saying the leaders of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were continously "on the move, moving from place to place" and evading arrest.

Still on the run are the GAM top military commander Muzakkir Manaf, his spokesman Sofyan Dawod, East Aceh military regional commander Ishak Daud Darwis Djeunieb who heads the Bireun district military command and a number of other regional commanders.

The military is now in its fourth month of intensive operations to rid the resource-rich province at the northern-most tip of Sumatra island of the rebels who have been fighting for independence since 1976.

On Saturday, the military said it had so far killed 830 guerrillas while more than 1,700 others have been arrested or had surrendered since the campaign was launched on May 19. The military lost 36 soldiers and the police 15 men. The Aceh police said at least 319 civilians have been killed during the same period while 108 have gone missing.

The military campaign is to last until November when it would be reviewed.